Automatic mail box signal



June 7, 1960 H. w. BARKDOLL 2,939,629

AUTOMATIC MAIL BOX SIGNAL Filed Dec. 24, 1958 I0 F/G A I my aw I ATTORNEYS WARD WEAR/(001.1. I

AUTOMATIC MAIL BOX SIGNAL.

' Howard W. Barkdoll, 1940 Atlantic St, St. Paul, Minn.

Filed Dec. 24, 195s, seam. 192,901

1 Claim. cum-+35 This invention relates" to a mail box,- andimore particularly to an automatic signal for a mail box.

The object of the invention is toprovide a rural mail box signal that Wili operate automatically when the door is closed and when the signal will be raised and lower alternately each time the door is closed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable, and efiicient device of this character which is cheap to manufacture, and which is especially suitable for use in rural locations.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing, the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a mail box equipped with the automatic signal of the present invention, and with parts broken away and in section, and showing the signal in lowered position and the door open.

Figure 2 is a view similarto Figure 1, showing the signal in raised position, and with the door open.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 2, but showing the action when the door is being closed.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Figure 3. 7

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates a mail box which includes a hollow housing 11, and the housing 11 is of the type that includes a top 12, spaced apart side walls 13 and 14, and a bottom wall 15. There is further provided a door 16 which is hingedly or pivotally connected to the front edge of the bottom wall at the lower iiront end of the housing 11 as at 17.

According'to the present invention, there is provided an automatic mail box signal which includes a rotatable shaft 18 that extends through the side wall 13 at a point adjacent to the top 12 and the upper front end of the housing 11, Figure 4. A sleeve 19 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 18, and an arm 20 is secured to the sleeve 19 or formed integral therewith, the arm 20 carrying" a signal or flag 21. The arm 20 being mounted on that portion of the sleeve 19 that extends outwardly of the wall 13.

The numeral 22 indicates a lever which is secured to that portion of the sleeve 19 that extends inwardly of the wall 13, and a weight 29 is adjustably connected to the lever 22 adjacent the free end thereof. A first pin 23 extends from the lever 22 at right angles thereto and inwardly of the weight 29 for a purpose to be later described.

The numeral 24 indicates a rotatable circular body member which is connected to the inner end of the shaft 18 inwardly of the lever 22 in any suitable manner, as

Patented Jun e.7, 1960 for example by means of a securing element 25. The body member 24 is provided with a substantially arcuate shaped slot or cut-out 26 that defines a pair of oppositely positioned closed shoulders .27 and 28 at the opposite ends of the slot or cut-out 26, and the pin 23 on the lever 22 extends through the cut-out 26 for selective I engagement with the shoulders 27 and 28. A second pin 30 extends outwardly'from the body member 24 in the same direction as the pin 23 in laterally spaced relation to that. end of the slot or cut-out 26 defining the shoulder 27, as'shown in the drawing.

There is further provided a movable bar 31 which pin 32.. The other end of the bar 31 is provided with a V-shaped slot 28 for selective engagement with the pins 30 or 23. The bar'31 is slidably supported in a bracket 34 which is secured as by welding to a side wall 13 of the housing 11 so that the movement of the bar 31 is limited to a path of movement that will cause the V- shaped slot 28 to engage either the pin 23 or the pin 30.,

The numeral 35 indicates a latch piece that is secured to the upper surface of the top 12 of the mail box 10. The numeral 36 indicates a latch piece that is secured to the upper edge of the door 16 and the latch pieces 35 and 36 are provided for maintaining the door 16 in closed position until it is desired to open the door as forexample when mail is to be removed or placed in the mail box.

According to the present invention, it will be seen that there has been provided a rural mail box with a signal flag 21 that will operate automatically when the door 16 is closed. The signal 21 is raised and lowered alternately each time the door 16 is closed, and the signal islocked in position when the door is closed.

The operation of the device is as follows:

With the flag 21 in the lowered position as for example as shown in Figure 1, the door 16 is opened to the solid line position in Figure 1, and as the door 16 .is closed, the bar 31 slides upward at an angle controlled by the bracket 34 and pivot 32 and is moved rearward and as it slides downward to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 in alinement with the pin 30, further rearward movement of the bar 31 will cause the slot 33 at the .rear end of the. bar 31 to engage the pin 30 and this causes rotation of the body member 24 which in turn rotates the shaft 18 since the body member 24 is aifixed to the shaft 18 as at 25. As previously described the arm 20 and lever 22 are fixed to the sleeve 19 that is rotatably mounted on the shaft 18, and since the pin 23 that extends from the lever 22 is positioned within the cut-out 26, as the body member 24 rotates the shoulder 27 will engage the pin 23 and cause the lever 22 to move. The movement of the lever 22 will rotate the sleeve 19 and since the arm 20 is fixed to the sleeve 19 the arm 20 will rotate with the sleeve 19 and cause the flag 21 to be raised as for example to the position shown in Figure 2. As the lever 22 moves past the center balance the weight 29 will urge the arm 20 forward until the arm 20 engages the stop 37 and thus by gravity the weight 29 will keep the arm 20 and flag 21 in raised position. The next time the door 16 is opened, the sliding bar 31 will be withdrawn to a position where pin 23 which is in shoulder 28 of the cut-out 26 will be lined up with the slot 33 on the sliding bar 31. Then, when the door 16 is closed this time, the pin 23 will engage with the slot 33 so that as the bar 31 moves the arm 20 and lever 22 will be moved upwardly until the pin 23 engages the shoulder 27 of the cut-out 26. The member 24 will then be caused to rotate and the signal 21 will be returned to its lowered position, as for example as shown in Figure 3 where the signal 21 is shown being moved to its lowered position.

The member 24 is thus returned to the position shown in Fig. 1 so that the pin 30 again is adapted to be engaged by the slot 33 in the bar 31 when the door 16 is again closed as previously described. The weight .29 on the lever 22 helps insure that the parts will move by gravity to their proper positions, when required) The bracket 34 provides a support for the sliding bar .31",

The parts may be made of any suitable. material. and in different shapes or sizes. 7

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of de tails coming within the field of invention vclaimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

I claim: Y 1

In a device of the character describerLa mail be -including a hollow housing embodying spaced apart side walls and a bottom wall, adoor hingedly connected. to said housing, a rotatable shaft extending through one of said side walls, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said shaft, an arm secured to said sleeve for rotation therewith, a signal carried by said arm, a lever secured. to said sleeve aeaaeae 4 for rotation therewith, a weight adjustably connected to the outer end of said lever a first pin projecting from said lever, a circular body member connected to said shaft for rotation therewith, said body member being provided with a cut-out, said first pin extending through said cut-out, a second pin extended from said body member, a bar having one end pivotally connected to said door, there .beingta V-shaped slot in the outer end of said bar for selectively engaging said first and second pin whereby when said door closed the selective engagement of said V-shaped slot with said pins will raise or lower said arm and the signal thereon with the weight on said lever moving said arm and signal by gravity to their proper positions, and a guide bracket secured through said one side wall in angular relation to said shaft and having said bar slidably passing therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,838,230 Batrkdoll June 10, 195:8 

